URGENT HELP NEEDED!! VERY sick female Platys (2 pregnant)

[FishMama814]

I’m going to try my best to keep this short and sweet but fair warning, there’s a lot to unpack.

Tank info:

20G, fresh water, heavily planted; fully cycled without fish; fancy guppies added 3/1/2023; platys and swordtail added 3/19/2023

4 fancy guppies: 3 F / 1 M; 3 F Platy; 1 M vampire swordtail

Parameters (Tetra Test Strips; tested 4/2/2023): temp: 78; Ammonia - 0, 

Same day as testing: noticed one female Platy with harshly clamped fins, shimmying at the top of the water, one was hiding at the bottom in some plants, and one seemed fine. While doing the water change, I noticed two babies had arrived in the tank. I assumed from the one at the bottom hiding in the plants. I looked into adding salt to treat the super stressed/sick one and started REALLY small (1 tblsp per 5 gallons = 4 tblsp total). It’s a heavily planted tank so I knew wouldn’t be able to go crazy higher than that or I’d lose my plant stock. I waited 24 hours to see if the water change and salt helped with the symptoms/behavior I was seeing in the stressed Platy. However, after 24 hours (yesterday morning), the original stressed, clamped, shimmying Platy had returned to normal behaviors and appearance, but the one that was “fine” picked up where the stressed one left off: stressed, clamped fins, shimmying at the top, and also had a white/cottony appearance. The one that (I think) had the babies, seemed fine. Waited a few more hours and the stressed one looked better-ISH. However, then, the original stressed Platy started flashing/flicking plants, substrate, decor and the presumed new momma was swimming rapidly up and down the tank along with the still stressed, clamped, shimmying at the top, with a cotton coat Platy. 

I read up on your trio and already had Ich-X. So I decided to NOT go the salt route and try the trio instead because I felt like it was a serious enough situation. I also assumed because of the stock in this tank (livebearers) having a pretty decent tolerance to salt and the salt amount being so low, the salt wouldn’t hurt anything and might even boost their immune system a little while doing the treatment.

I followed your directions exactly for a 20G tank and administered it last night: 2 packets Maracyn, 2 tsps Ich-X, and 2 packets Paracleanse.  At around 7p (CST) tonight, they will have been in the medicated water for 24 hours. Here is my question (which will probably bring up more questions when I get the answer🤦🏻‍♀️🙄):

If I don’t see improvement after 7 days, do I administer the trio again? Try one medication at a time per week (per your directions for “weak fish” in the article about doing the trio)? (The picture attached is of the most stressed fish taken this morning.)

I’m newER to the fish keeping hobby and there are random little pieces of information that people forget / leave out / don’t mention and I can NEVER find when I look. I’m trying REALLY hard to be a good fish mom (probably TOO hard, if I’m being honest) but I feel like I keep messing it up. I have 3 tanks and keep a spreadsheet tab for each of them with water parameters, fish, plant, rock, decor addition and subtraction dates, notes on water parameter actions, fish behavior, etc. I enjoy it. A lot. But if I’m terrible at it and should just keep up with what I have and quit when they’re done, please tell me. I don’t like to watch animals suffer and I feel like that’s all I’ve done to these fish is made them suffer. You won’t hurt my feelings. 
 

sorry for the novel. Thank you for any help you can provide! 
 

-Scared and guilt ridden Fish Momma

[Colu]

What your kH GH and  pH as the symptoms your describing can be caused by low kH and GH @FishMama814

[FishMama814]

@Colu So sorry! Forgot to input the rest of my water parameters 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Ammonia - 0

Nitrite - 0

Nitrate - 10

pH - 7.2

GH - 300+
KH - 40/50 (low)

Also, one of my guppies is currently in labor and just had one baby and is in the process of another one. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Edited April 5 by FishMama814

[Colu]

Your kH could be the issue I would add crushed coral 1lb for 10 gallons  to help raise your KH you can add wonder shell in the short term to add minerals to your tanks @FishMama814

Edited April 5 by Colu

[FishMama814]

ok thank you!!! Where do I get crushed coral? Can I get it from ACo-op? How fast would it get to me? I’m assuming I need this asap….
Aside from adding the coral should I just continue observing and let the medicine do it’s thing for now? 
Can/should I test the water each day or will it be pointless because the medication will mess up the reading? 
Should I continue NOT feeding them? (Per the “trio” administration directions: do not feed for 7 days)

seriously thank you so much! I really appreciate you responding ♥️

[Colu]

You can get crushed coral from the co-op it will also raise your pH as well as your KH I would add half the desired amount leave it a couple of days to see how much your pH goes up by as your pH is above 7 it Will deslove slowly so it  might be worth while adding some wonder shell to temporarily add some minerals to your tank co-op quarantine trio is a preventive treatment if you need to treat an active infection you  use the full dose with one of medications     @FishMama814

Edited April 5 by Colu

[FishMama814]

Awesome! I will add the crushed coral and wonder shell asap. 
 

so since I followed the preventative directions, should I water change and start over with one medication at a time? Or start now with one medication but only add the difference between what I already added (per preventative directions) and what a “normal” recommended dose is? 
 

the stressed Platy is starting to get aggressive and nipping at the others. Should I remove her? I don’t have a QT tank but I can try and set one up asap with an established tank filter to cycle it quickly. I know the tank is most likely carrying whatever she has and I will still treat it but I don’t want her aggression to stress out the others and bring their immune systems down. 

😪thank you for your help. @Colu

[Colu]

On 4/5/2023 at 3:42 AM, FishMama814 said:

Awesome! I will add the crushed coral and wonder shell asap. 
 

so since I followed the preventative directions, should I water change and start over with one medication at a time? Or start now with one medication but only add the difference between what I already added (per preventative directions) and what a “normal” recommended dose is? 
 

the stressed Platy is starting to get aggressive and nipping at the others. Should I remove her? I don’t have a QT tank but I can try and set one up asap with an established tank filter to cycle it quickly. I know the tank is most likely carrying whatever she has and I will still treat it but I don’t want her aggression to stress out the others and bring their immune systems down. 

😪thank you for your help. @Colu

I would water change out the medication  because the symptoms your seeing are more than likely caused by the lack of minerals in water due to low kH I would monitor them closely  I wouldn't remove the aggressive platys it will causes more stress if after adding wonder shell and crushed coral your still seeing clamped fins than I would go ahead and do a course of maracyn just in case there's a bacterial component 

Edited April 5 by Colu

[FishMama814]

You.are.my.hero! Thank you. So so much. Adding crushed coral and wonder shell today! How long should I give it before I decide to try the maracyn? 

[FishMama814]

@Colu

I added the co-ops crushed coral and wonder shell to my cart but it won’t get here till april 11. Is that too long to wait? I’m thinking “yes.” So in the meantime, will this work? Picture attached. 

[quikv6]

Yes, aragonite will defintely work. Just keep an eye on the PH to see how much it ends up raising it until it stabilizes. My mollies and platys seem to thrive in harder water, so I think this is a solid move for you.